Clifford Dale Castle

Clifford "Poppy" Dale Castle left us for the great donut shop in the sky on April 19, 2022, at the age of 71. He leaves behind his beloved wife Sparky (aka Joanne Borovoy); his mother Jean Marie Barrett (née Byrne); his brother Kevin Castle; his brother- and sister-in-law Larry and Nancy Casqueiro; his son Skye Douglas Barnett; his three daughters Amy Erin Borovoy (Clifford Hill), Samantha Chioaru (Razvan Chioaru), and Shelby Kobelin; and two granddaughters, Juniper Siena and Aniko Rocket, the shiniest gems in his heart.

Born in 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri to Lawrence "Cass" Castle and Jean Marie Byrne, he grew up a corn-fed midwestern boy, raised in part by his Grandma Iris and Grandpa Doug. A teacher dubbed him "Clif with one F" in elementary school, and that stuck-for the rest of his life. He headed west as soon as he could, and found his home in northern California. The stars aligned when he met the love of his life, Joanne, at a friend's Thanksgiving dinner. They were married on a trip to Scotland, on the Isle of Skye, just 7 months later, with a stamp of approval from Joanne's then 7-year-old, Amy Erin. Their son Skye Douglas came along in 1984, and when the twins, Sam and Shelby, were adopted in 1994, their family was complete. Clif and Jo would have celebrated their 40th anniversary in August 2023.

Poppy Clif was a joyful, generous, and loving son, husband, father, and grandfather. Everything about him was big, from his outsized sense of humor to his huge heart. We will miss his gentle loving presence and silly demeanor. Poppy was a lifelong artist and craftsman, happiest when building a custom creation with his hands (often of JoJo's design). He was a tireless traveler who loved exploring new places at JoJo's side. He was a prankster who always had a smile on his face and took delight in making everyone around him laugh, often in cahoots with his favorite partner in crime, his dear friend Ross Egge. And he loved nothing more than baking banana bread and spending time with his rambunctious granddaughters.

He was a cowboy at heart, and though he asked for his body to be leaned up against a tree in the pasture to keep the miniature horse and mule company, we opted for his second choice: to be a pioneer in the cutting-edge field of terramation instead. We expect he will make the most glorious, fertile soil. There will be no memorial service, at his request, but someday there will be lots of trees and flowers in Poppy's Magic Garden.

The family wishes to send our deep gratitude to the palliative care team, the fourth floor doctors and nurses, and the harpist who played "The Skye Boat Song" at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa. They provided great comfort and excellent care to Poppy Clif-and to us-in his last few weeks.

Poppy, we miss you beyond words. We will cherish your love always. Happy trails.

Published in Healdsburg Tribune · May 24, 2022